Friday, April 11, 2008

Busy as a Bee!!!

Cactus made for Spring Flower Swap
Square in Square Quilt Top
Parasol Girl Quilt Top
Finished John Deere Baby Quilt

Roostin' Robin Project


I've been busy as a Bee this Spring. I've been crocheting and quilting many projects. I joined a Spring Flower Swap on my CrochetAwayThePounds SparkPeople team. I had designed a potted Cacti for my Grandmother when she was in the hospital. She couldn't have fresh flowers so I crocheted the Cacti and set it in the window of her hospital room. We could choose all kinds of flowers from a list and I was happy to see Cactus flower on the list. My partner loved it and couldn't believe that I had designed it.

I joined Ann's Quilt-Along on QuiltingFriends Yahoo group. We did the Square in Square pattern from Quilter's Cache. I did mine in scrappy colors. I just finished putting on a piano border and it's ready to be quilted. I think I'm going to free motion quilt it......something I've been practicing on placemats, potholders and tablerunners. I like the pattern so will probably make another one.

One of my friends asked me why I was making so many quilts. I could only use one or two at a time. I told her that one day I want to have enough quilts finished to give each of my family a quilt that I have made.......like my Grandmother did for all of her family. I cherish the quilt Grandma made and hope that my family will cherish the quilts I have made one day.

I'm still working on my Roostin' Robin. I have one more set of blocks on it for April........couldn't find the current photo of it to upload. For May I will be putting a small solid color border to separate last month's blocks and next month's blocks. For June I will be adding 16-inch blocks all around. I've been having fun deciding what pattern to use. For April I used the Square in Square pattern. For June I might add some type of Star pattern......not sure yet.

The Parasol Girl quilt top is one I found in Grandma's quilting and sewing supplies that I inherited. It still needs some embroidery done on the faces, arms and hands of the girls. I hope to finish it and get it quilted one day. I love all the old fabrics that was used in the quilt. I don't know if Grandma made this top or if it is one that Aunt Zettie (Grandma's sister) gave to her. I just know that I think it is beautiful.

I finished the back of the John Deere Baby quilt with a fleece throw. After getting it done there was a huge discussion about using fleece on the back of quilts on my Yahoo quilting group. Some ladies say they love it, others say it is not good to use because of fire danger. If somehow the fleece caught on fire it would melt and cause severe burns to a baby or child. I'm going to be taking it apart and using batting and fabric for the backing. I don't want to take a chance on anything drastic happening to Joshua and Rosa's little one.

The garden is growing every day! Soon we should be eating fresh lettuce, radishes and green onions. This weekend I want to plant the rest of the potatoes and some other veggies and flowers.

Before we know it it will be time for camping and fishing. Dad so wants us to go up to Prineville Resevoir this year for a weekend. I'm not sure with the price of gas if we will be able to go or not. Sounds like a lot of fun! Dad and Mae will be staying up there for 2 weeks.

Today I'm making potato salad, deviled eggs and fried chicken for a picnic tomorrow. We probably will just go down by the Umpqua River and have our picnic. It's about 2 miles from our home. Either that or we might go to the park in Canyonville and have our picnic there. We'll decide when we get in the van and start out the driveway.

Just finished making cafe curtains for my kitchen. I had curtains for all the windows in kitchen and dining room except the kitchen. I had one pair of curtains left over......they were too short for kitchen window alone. So I found the rest of the material I had used and made a valance to go above the short curtains. Now, I have cafe curtains in the kitchen window. They are red and white gingham. They go with my country-themed kitchen.

Talk to you later.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

A Little of This and a Little of That Today

Disappearing Nine-Patch Quilt Top
Square in Square Quilt Top
Easter Bouquet


I've been working on several quilt tops lately. The two above are the latest ones that I have finished. They are Disappearing Nine-Patch and a Square in Square. I have to purchase the batting and backing for them. I've been thinking about using two quilt tops.......one as the front and one as the backing.........this would make them reversible. It would save me from having to purchase backing. LOL

Rich and I had a wonderful Easter. Yes, the Easter Bunny brought Rich a hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny just like he ordered. We didn't have a regular Easter dinner........we had munchies! Slices of ham and turkey, slices of cheddar and swiss cheese, chips and dip, crackers, olives, and pickles. No dessert as we had our Easter Basket Goodies.

The garden is doing well even with the light frosts we have been getting. We are looking forward to fresh veggies. We should be having fresh green onions soon. The radishes and peas seem to grow everyday. I'm going to have to stake the peas soon as I don't want them falling over. They are the kind that doesn't get very tall. Staking them will keep the peas up off the ground and cleaner. Hopefully I have gotten rid of the snails and slugs that was trying to eat my cabbage plants. I hate using chemicals on my garden.....but it was either the snails and slugs or my cabbage plants...........the cabbage plants won.

Talk to ya later!!!!!!!!!!!!